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QUESTION - This is all very interesting. I feel like I am related some way. My 3 great grandmother was Elizabeth Evaline Prince. Born 1820 died about 1897 in Indiana. Her father was Jacob Prince and his father was Gottfried Printz that served in the Revolutionary War. I would love to hear from someone who has these same ancestors in their tree.

ANSWER - Here is what might be your line if Elizabeth was Eliza, she was born a few years after 1820, and she died in VA not IN. That's a lot of "ifs" but here goes. It's a bit complex, as there are Printzs on both sides:

1B3D11B. Eliza Printz, born June 13, 1825(Feb 29,1823) in Page Co., VA; died there on May 13, 1866. She was christened at Mt. CalvaryLutheran Church on Nov. 13, 1825. She married on Aug. 3, 1844 to Isaac Printz, born July 27, 1823; died Aug. 16, 1892, son of Abraham Printz and Anna Mary Miller (1B3H5). They had seven children. For children see (1B3H5F).

Eliza Printz was married to:

1B3H5F. Isaac Printz, born July 27, 1823 at Printz
Town, VA; was killed on Aug. 16, 1892 when
struck by a falling tree which he was attempting to fell. He was pinned to the ground and died about an hour afterwards. He married
(1) on Aug. 3, 1844 to Eliza Printz, born June 13, 1825; died May 13, 1866, daughter of Jacob Printz and Catherine Somers.

Isaac Printz's father was:

1B3H5. Abraham Printz, born in May 1789 in Printz Town, VA; died there on June 15, 1876. He married Anna Mary Miller, born 1786; died Mar. 5, 1856, daughter of John Miller. Abraham was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving from Aug. 31, 1814-Dec. 6, 1815 under Capt. Joshua Ruffner and Col. David Cole. He received a land grant in Iowa and a pension for his services. He was a successful farmer, and, in partnership with his brother, Peter, with his sawmill, but he withdrew and built one for himself further
down the creek. However, this was not successful. Abraham assisted in the building of Grace Church and he and his wife were active members of this church.

Abraham's father was:

1B3H. Gottlieb Brentz aka Godlove Printz, was born
on Sept. 20, 1752 in York Co., PA; was baptised on Nov. 5, 1752 at Christ Lutheran Church, York Co., Pa; sponsors, Gottlieb and Anna Marie Gunkel; died Dec. 15, 1806 in Shenandoah Co., VA. He married Magdalene Crumm (?), born ; died after June 7, 1811 at which time Magdalene and her second husband, John Roller, born ; died ; (whom she married on June 15,
1808), deeded land to her children by her marriage to Godlove. Godlove Printz, whose name had been anglicised from Gottlieb Brentz, came to Virginia with his parents and upon the death of his father in 1794 became "Governor of Printz Town" by purchasing the interests of his siblings. The second record of Godlove, also known as Cutlip and Godlip, is on Nov. 2, 1775 when he is mentioned in Gwathmey who reported him in the Virginia militia and paid at Romney.
He was a private in Capt. Joseph Borman's Co., of Virginia Militia, soldiers in the west. Godlove was taxed for 300 acres of land in 1782, however, there is no record of his obtaining this land—but he continued paying taxes on the land until 1789. During that year, he was granted 74 acres of land and he was taxed on that amount until 1799 when that land apparently was transferred to Christian Smith; there is no record of such a transfer, but Christian Smith began paying taxes on the land in 1800. In 1794, he was taxed on the 217 acres of land that he received from his father's estate. This was reduced to 167 when he transferred 50 acres to his brother, Philip. On Oct. 8, 1804, Godlove and Mollie Prince sold 288 acres of land to Mark Finks and joined the exodus of settlers from Virginia heading for the fertile lands of Kentucky. They and some of their sons went down the Shenandoah Valley with
all of their goods and cattle and passed through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, settling in Bourbon Co., KY. Godlove's stay there was not long because of the wildness of the country and his failing health. He is listed as a householder in July 25, 1805 and June 23, 1806 in Bourbon Co., KY. According to family legend, Godlove begged his sons to take him back to his home in Printz Town and when he
saw the old homestead again he died. There was apparently an agreement with Mark Finks concerning the 288 acres of land that Godlove had sold him as Mark Finks and his wife, Eve Finks, sold the land back to Magdalene Prince, widow of Godlove, on Sept. 24, 1807.

Gottlieb's father was Johan Philip Brentz, and there is a whole page about him on this site.

Eliza's father was:

1B3D11. Jacob Printz, born c!797 in Page Co., VA;
died 1846 there. He married on Jan. 21, 1820 to Catherine Somers, born Dec. 13, 1803; died Feb. 2, 1889, daughter of Philip Somers, Jr. and Barbara Sours. Jacob was a farmer and his farm was near Stoney Man, VA. During the winter months, he was a butcher and exposure at this type of work caused his death. He sold land on Piney Mountain given him by his father on Feb. 8,1833 to Michael Blosz. Jacob and Catherine were members of the Lutheran Church.

Jacob's father was:

1B3D. Johan Georg Brentz, born Dec. 8, 1742 in Duehren, Baden, Germany; bp Dec. 9, 1742; died May 8, 1834 at Stoney Man, Page Co., VA. He married (1) c!764 to Elizabeth Henry, born
; died c!785-86; it is probable that her name was Elizabeth Crum, daughter of Henry Crum as the land that George Printz' home place is
located on formerly belonged to Henry Crum; (2)
on Aug. 5, 1787 with the Rev. Paul Henkle, officiating, to Mary Magdalene Shaffer, born Apr. 4, 1760; died Oct. 20, 1823 in Shenandoah Co., VA. George came to America with his parents in 1751. The earliest record that has been located concerning George Printz is contained in a deed recorded at Frederick Co., VA Court in Winchester, Va. on July 26, 1771. This deed conveys to George Printz 92 acres of
land, "lying on the drains of the Great Hawksbill", that being part of a 387 acre tract granted Henry Crumb by the Proprietors. It is probable that all of the Printzes came at that time as that is the date that George's father also patented land in Shenandoah Co., VA.(At that time, Shenandoah Co., VA contained present day Page Co., VA). In 1775, a militia regiment was established in Dunmore Co.(the county name was changed to Shenandoah Co. in 1777) with Col. Thomas Marshall in command. It is possible that George served from the beginning since on Apr. 30, 1778, his name appears on a list of
lieutenants sworn in as officers of the county militia. This commission was probably signed by Governor Patrick Henry, the Governor of Virginia at that time. George was promoted on Oct. 11, 1780 to Captain and his Commission was signed by Governor Thomas Jefferson (this Commission is now in the possession of the son of the late John L. Printz of Grand Island, NE). Part of the Virginia Militia served with
the Continental Army. David C. Mclnturff declares in the pension application of John C. Aleshite, that "Aleshite marched in August 1781 from Shenandoah Co., VA under Capt. George Printz and served at the battle of York"; previously, he had been drafted for three months under Capt. George Printz and had marched from Shenandoah County to Newcastle on the Pamunkey River. At Newcastle, George Printz became ill and was releaved from duty. (VA Revolutionary War Pension Applications. Vol. 1. Dorman. 1959). Joseph Printz, George's son, when erecting his tombstone, had inscribed,
"Aide to General Washington". A great grandson, John David Printz, of Stonyman, stated in a newspaper article published several years ago in the Page (Co.) News and Courier, that Capt. George Printz was present at the surrender of General Cornwallis. George was also found on a list, dated Baltimore, MD, July 29, 1778, on General Nelson's Corps of Light Dragoons. Whether the Virginia Militia was a part of this group or not, has not been ascertained. George's name is enscribed on a brass plate at the Valley Forge Memorial Bell Tower dedicated by the NSDAR to patriots of the Revolutionary War. There are no further records of his
activities during the Revolutionary War or that he served in an official capacity in the local
government. However, in 1792, his name appeared
on a petition along with 25 or 30 fellow citizens of Shenandoah Co. to the General Assembly to establish a new county separated from Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties. This petition was denied by the General Assembly, but 39 years later, Page County was established (Virginia Valley Records. John W. Wayland. Strasburg, Shenandoah Publ. House. 1930. p91). In October, 1797, George represented the Hawksbill Church at the Lutheran Special Conference in Woodstock, VA. In 1806, he attended the Lutheran Conference at Roeders Church. In 1809, he was listed as a church officer of the Hawksbill Church. In 1789, 1798, and 1819, George obtained a total of 260 acres
in the Hawksbill. He received a land grant of 80 acres on July 18, 1812 signed by President James Madison for his services in the Revolutionary War in Stark Co., Ohio and later he visited the area. However, he did not stay, probably finding the area too wild. When he returned to VA, he offered to give it to any of his sons who would live on it. George's will was drawn in March 1823, and was probated on Sept. 22, 1834. However, he had two codicils added to it in 1827 and 1829. In this will, he gave the Ohio lands to his sons George and Reuben to be equally divided between them. The
codicil stated that son, Joseph is to give to son George, $700, and that Joseph would receive the quarter section of land originally given to George. Each of the children were mentioned by name and each of the children received a portion of their father's estate. He mentioned, also, three grandchildren, David, Christianna and Magdalena Baker, children of his deceased daughter, Magdalena Baker. George's nickname was "Hooneyarick".